The House of Wiśniowiecki ( uk, Вишневе́цькі, ''Vyshnevetski''; lt, Višnioveckiai}) was a Polish-Lithuanian princely family of Ruthenian-Lithuanian origin, notable in the history of the

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and, after 1791, as the Commonwealth of Poland, was a bi-confederal state, sometimes called a federation, of Crown of the Kingdom of ...

. They were powerful magnates with estates predominantly in Ruthenian lands of the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, and they used the Polish coat of arms of '' Korybut''. The family is a

cadet branch In history and heraldry, a cadet branch consists of the male-line descendants of a monarch's or patriarch's younger sons ( cadets). In the ruling dynasties and noble families of much of Europe and Asia, the family's major assets— realm, t ...

of the House of Zbaraski.

History

The family tradition would trace their descent to the Gediminids, but modern historians believe there is more evidence for them to have descended from the Rurikids. According to the Gediminids relation theory, the ancestor of the family was Duke Kaributas (Ruthenian: ''Dymitr Korybut''),Mytsyk, Yu.
Vyshnevetski
'. Encyclopedia of History of Ukraine. a son of the

Grand Duke of Lithuania The monarchy of Lithuania concerned the monarchical head of state of Lithuania, which was established as an absolute and hereditary monarchy. Throughout Lithuania's history there were three ducal dynasties that managed to stay in power— Ho ...

, Algirdas. Kaributas was stripped of the Duchy of

Severia Severia or Siveria ( orv, Сѣверія, russian: Северщина, translit=Severshchina, uk, Сіверія or , translit. ''Siveria'' or ''Sivershchyna'') is a historical region in present-day southwest Russia, northern Ukraine, eastern ...

and transferred to Volhynia and

Podolia Podolia or Podilia ( uk, Поділля, Podillia, ; russian: Подолье, Podolye; ro, Podolia; pl, Podole; german: Podolien; be, Падолле, Padollie; lt, Podolė), is a historic region in Eastern Europe, located in the west-centra ...

where he was given to govern cities of Vinnytsia and Kremenets, while Zbarazh as a private estate. At first Zbarazh was inherited by Ivan, but in 1434 it was passed on to the second son of Korybut Fedor of Nieśwież. The latter became a progenitor of such princely families like Porycki, Woronecki, Zbarazski. In the 15th century Wiśniowiecki family split away from House of Zbaraski. The family place was city of Wiśniowiec (now

Vyshnivets Vyshnivets ( uk, Вишнівець, translit. ''Vyshnivets’''; pl, Wiśniowiec) is an urban-type settlement in Kremenets Raion (district) of the Ternopil Oblast (province) of western Ukraine. It hosts the administration of Vyshnivets settle ...

). At first Wiśniowiecki estates were located predominantly in Volhynia, but since 1580s also included on

left-bank Ukraine Left-bank Ukraine ( uk, Лівобережна Україна, translit=Livoberezhna Ukrayina; russian: Левобережная Украина, translit=Levoberezhnaya Ukraina; pl, Lewobrzeżna Ukraina) is a historic name of the part of Ukrain ...

in a region around Lubny, Romny, others that in the past belonged to the princes Glinski and Daumantas. From their days as Ruthenian nobility, they held the title of '' Kniaz'' (prince). By the late 16th century, the family converted from Orthodox to

Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

and became Polonized. They gained much importance in the

, with vast possessions in the 16th to 18th centuries on the territories of today's

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inva ...

, particularly the town of

(''Wiśniowiec''). Their estates were so vast and their position so powerful that they were known as the most powerful of magnates – the "little kings" (''"królewięta"''). Their ancestral seat was the Vyshnivets Castle. The family's golden age was the 17th century, when its members accumulated much wealth and influence, held numerous important posts within the Commonwealth. Likely the most notable members of this family were Michael I, king of Poland and

from 1669 to 1673, his father Jeremi Wiśniowiecki, as well as Dmytro Vyshnevetsky who was a important Cossack leader.

Coat of arms

The coat of arms of the House of Wiśniowiecki was the

Korybut coat of arms Korybut is a Polish coat of arms. It was used by the Princely House of Wiśniowiecki-Zbaraski and several branches of the House of Nieświcki in the times of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Notable bearers Notable bearers of this coat of arm ...

. File:Coat of Arms of Michal Korybut Wisniowiecki as king of Poland.svg, Coat of Arms of King Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki

Notable family members

* Michał Zbaraski Wiśniowiecki (died after 1516), Prince at Wiśniowiec, progenitor of the Wiśniowiecki family ** Iwan Wiśniowiecki (died after 1516), courtier, married Nastazja Olizarowicz h. Chorągwie ***

Konstanty Wiśniowiecki Prince Konstanty Wiśniowiecki (1564–1641) was a Ruthenian nobleman of Kingdom of Poland, voivode of Belz since 1636, of Ruthenia since 1638 and starost of Czerkasy and Kamieniec was a wealthy, powerful and influential magnate, experienc ...

(before 1516–1574), courtier, starost of Żytomierz, married Anna Elżbieta Swierszcz z Olchowca h. Jastrzębiec ****

(1564–1641), voivode of Belz and Ruthenia, married Anna Zahorowska h. Korczak, Urszula Mniszech h. Mniszech, Katarzyna Korniaktowna h. Krucyni and Krystyna Strusiowna h. Korczak ***** Marianna Wiśniowiecka (1600–1624), married

voivode Voivode (, also spelled ''voievod'', ''voevod'', ''voivoda'', ''vojvoda'' or ''wojewoda'') is a title denoting a military leader or warlord in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe since the Early Middle Ages. It primarily referred to the me ...

of Bełz and Ruthenia Marshal Jakub Sobieski h. Janina, the father of King of Poland Jan III Sobieski *****

Janusz Wiśniowiecki Prince Janusz Wiśniowiecki (1598–1636) was Polish nobleman, ''koniuszy wielki koronny'' (i.e. ''High Royal Equerry'') from 1633, starost of Krzemieniec. In 1631 after the death of Jerzy Zbaraski inherited Puławy. Marriage and issue Janusz ...

(1598–1636), Master of the Stables of the Crown, married Katarzyna Eugenia Tyszkiewicz h. Leliwa ****** Dymitr Jerzy Wiśniowiecki (1631–1682), Great Guard and

Hetman ( uk, гетьман, translit=het'man) is a political title from Central and Eastern Europe, historically assigned to military commanders. Used by the Czechs in Bohemia since the 15th century. It was the title of the second-highest military ...

of the Crown, voivode of Belz and

Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula, Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland un ...

, married

Marianna Zamoyska The House of Zamoyski (plural: Zamoyscy) is the name of an important Polish noble ( szlachta) family, which used the Jelita coat of arms. It is the Polish term for "de Zamość" (Polish "z Zamościa"), the name they originally held as lords of Z ...

Jelita Jelita is a Polish coat of arms. It was used by several szlachta families. History One of the oldest Polish coats of arms. First depicted on the seal of Tomisław z Mokrska from 1316. Additionally, the Polish medieval chronicler, diplomat and s ...

****** Konstanty Krzysztof Wiśniowiecki (1633–1686), voivode of Podlasie of Bracław and

Bełz Belz ( uk, Белз; pl, Bełz; yi, בעלז ') is a small city in Lviv Oblast of Western Ukraine, near the border with Poland, located between the Solokiya river (a tributary of the Bug River) and the Richytsia stream. Belz hosts the administ ...

, married

Urszula Teresa Mniszech The House of Mniszech (plural: Mniszchowie, historical feminine forms: Mniszchówna (unmarried), Mniszchowa (married or widow)) was a Polish magnate and noble family bearing the Mniszech Coat of Arms. Notable members * Andrzej Jerzy Mniszech ...

h. Mniszech and Anna Chodorowska h. Korczak ******* Janusz Antoni Wiśniowiecki (1678–1741), voivode of Wilno and Marshal, married Teofilia Leszczyńska h. Wieniawa ******** Urszula Franciszka Wiśniowiecka (1705–1753), dramatist and writer, married voivode of Troki and Hetman Prince Michał Kazimierz "Rybeńko" Radziwiłł h. Trąby ******* Michał Serwacy Wiśniowiecki (1680–1744), the last male representative of the Wiśniowiecki family, Hetman, Castellan and Voivode of Wilno, Great Chancellor of Lithuania, married Katarzyna Dolska h. Kościesza, Maria Magdalena Czartoryska h. Czartoryski and Tekla Róża Radziwiłł h. Trąby *** Dmytro Vyshnevetsky, also known as ''Baida'', first Ataman of the Ukrainian Cossacks, Hetman of the

Registered Cossacks Registered Cossacks (, , pl, Kozacy rejestrowi) comprised special Cossack units of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth army in the 16th and 17th centuries. Registered Cossacks became a military formation of the Commonwealth army beginnin ...

** Aleksander Wiśniowiecki (c. 1500–1555), starost of Rzeczyce, married Katarzyna Skoruta h. Korczak *** Michał Wiśniowiecki (1529–1584), castellan of Bracław and Kiev, married Halszka Zenowiczówna h. Deszpot **** Michał Wiśniowiecki (died 1616), starost of Owrucz, married Regina Mohyła ***** Jeremi Wiśniowiecki (1612–1651), Prince at Wiśniowiec, Łubny and Chorol, voivode of Ruthenia, married Gryzelda Konstancja Zamoyska h.

****** Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki (Michael I, 1640-1673), King of Poland 1669–1673, married

Eleanor of Austria, Queen of Poland Eleonore Maria Josefa of Austria (21 May 1653 – 17 December 1697) was Queen of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania by marriage to King Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki, and subsequently Duchess of Lorraine by her second marriage to Charles ...

***** Anna Wiśniowiecka, married starost of Lublin Zbigniew Firlej h. Lewart *** Aleksander Wisiowiecki (1543–1577), courtier, married Aleksandra Kapusta h. Kapusta **** Adam Wiśniowiecki (c. 1566–1622), married Aleksandra Chodkiewicz h. Kościesza, daughter of Hetman Jan Hieronimowicz Chodkiewicz h. Kościesza and Krystyna Zborowska h. Jastrzębiec

Gallery of estates

file:Вишневець. Палац 04.jpg,

Vyshnivets Palace The Vyshnivets Palace ( uk, Вишнівецький палац) or the Wiśniowiecki Palace ( pl, Pałac Wiśniowieckich) is located in the urban-type settlement of Vyshnivets (near the city of Zbarazh) in Ternopil Oblast of western Ukraine. H ...

file:Zbarazh Castle Park3.jpg,

Zbarazh Castle Zbarazh Castle ( uk, Збаразький замок, pl, Zamek w Zbarażu) is a fortified defense stronghold in Zbarazh, built during the times of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. It dominates the crests of the Zamkova Hills of Ternopil ...

file:Ostroh Castle (Klymenko).jpg, Castle of Ostróg file:Lodygowice dwor.jpg, Manor house in Łodygowice file:Pałac Zbaraskich, Kraków.JPG, Zbarski Palace in

file:7 Warszawa 162.jpg, Palace of the Minister of the Treasury in

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officiall ...

(rebuilt from the former Wiśniowiecki Palace) file:BialyKamienZamek.JPG, Ruins of the Castle of Biały Kamień File:Капл. Вишневецьких.JPG, Wisniowiecki Chapel ( Latin Cathedral in

Lviv Lviv ( uk, Львів) is the largest city in Western Ukraine, western Ukraine, and the List of cities in Ukraine, seventh-largest in Ukraine, with a population of . It serves as the administrative centre of Lviv Oblast and Lviv Raion, and is o ...

)

References

External links

Lubomyr Wynar Liubomyr Roman Vynar or Lubomyr Wynar ( ua, Любомир Роман Винар, 2 January 1932 – 16 April 2017) was a Ukrainian-American scholar and historian. Wynar was born in Lwów, Poland (now Lviv, Ukraine) and studied history at the ...